Islingotn Tribune - News: 'Special school' fear over merger

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Islington Tribune - by MARK BLUNDEN
Published: 25 May 2007

‘Special school’ fear over merger

SENIOR teachers at Highbury Grove fear parents will see it as “one big special school” when it accepts a massive intake of teenagers with learning and behaviour problems, confidential documents reveal.
The secondary school, in Highbury Grove, Highbury, is due to amalgamate with the secondary department of Samuel Rhodes special school, in Dowrey Street, Barnsbury, which will move to Highbury Grove.
Highbury Grove is to be demolished and rebuilt as part of the Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme.
A confidential document prepared for a governors’ meeting last Tuesday which discussed the school’s future reveals:
n Fears about the lack of outdoor space in the new school design.
n Worries that the merger of the schools will make Highbury Grove “difficult to market” to prospective parents.
n Staff concern about more children with “serious learning and/or behavioural difficulties” at the school.
n A “danger of the school becoming characterised as one big special school”.
The paper on the rebuilding plan was written for governors by associate headteacher Henry Jones and included a “pros” and “cons” list.
Under “pros”, management said it was happy Highbury Grove would “benefit materially” from the rebuilding, which will cost £36 million.
Governors were told that, although outside space is to be reduced, the school will be “better designed and more usable”.
It was claimed some parents have a “not in my backyard” mentality over their children attending a school with so many special needs pupils.
Management is concerned that the BSF funding is the only option available if much-needed funds are to be injected into the school. The document reveals: “Put simply – if we were to go it alone we would almost certainly end up with cuts.”
Under the merger plans, children from both schools will be “mainstreamed” and mix together.
Earlier this year, the Tribune revealed how headteacher Truda White was so concerned that prospective parents were shunning the school because of nearby city academies that she planned to attract pupils from neighbouring Camden.
During building work, which could take up to two years, there will be nowhere in the school for pupils to have PE lessons. Governors agreed to back the merger between the two schools.

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